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Topic Review (Newest First)

02-21-2013 02:40 PM

IMAnonymous

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razcar

Thank you IMAnonymous, for weaving a silky veil of truthiness around a cracking foundation of supposition, assumption, and presumption. You wrote that as if you were actually looking over their shoulder during the buying process, and sailed with them in it during their last miles. You seem to bring such authority on the matter without actually having any first or second-hand knowledge about either their boat or them as people, yet still you come to such concise and confident conclusions.

It was offered as a best guess. You even quoted me saying that. Evidentally, you failed to notice what you quoted.

I think one should debate why a boat disappears. It might save somebody else. The guy buys a boat that fails survey, comes in with his boom nailed together with two 2x4's, and crosses in October but that shouldn't be noted??

Quote:

I'm hoping you don't investigate accidents for the Coast Guard or NTSB, otherwise we'd all be in trouble.

And I'm hoping you're not teaching safety classes.

02-21-2013 01:07 PM

sailguy40

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

I am a lake/coastal guy, not even a cruiser and this here is something I would have never done. You can always plan to go at a better time. That would be like me planning a trip to the Bahamas during hurricane season. I would wait and go OFF hurricane season...

Quote:

"Two hundred miles after setting off from Tahiti -- anticipating such a relaxed and tropical journey -- we realized we'd be going through a potential hurricane zone . . . and that August is the worst possible month. Ahhh . . . it's always something," Steele wrote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IMAnonymous

Him I don't I don't have much sympathy for.

I do, and also their families considering I have no idea what happened to them.

02-21-2013 12:08 PM

Razcar

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

Quote:

Originally Posted by IMAnonymous

But, like everybody else, I'm just guessing.

What's the lesson? "Cheap" and "safe" are not always synonymous - Or maybe it's "At sea a shim is worth more than a 2x4"?

Thank you IMAnonymous, for weaving a silky veil of truthiness around a cracking foundation of supposition, assumption, and presumption. You wrote that as if you were actually looking over their shoulder during the buying process, and sailed with them in it during their last miles. You seem to bring such authority on the matter without actually having any first or second-hand knowledge about either their boat or them as people, yet still you come to such concise and confident conclusions.

I'm hoping you don't investigate accidents for the Coast Guard or NTSB, otherwise we'd all be in trouble.

02-20-2013 07:23 PM

IMAnonymous

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjango

I know I know.....they probably used the survey to pull the seller's pants down to his ankles on the price of the boat .

I think we can guarantee that because, had they bought it "subject to survey", the owner would have had to correct the faults to get his price. It meant they were trying to get a boat for less than the "subject to survey price" from day one. They probably couldn't afford one that passed.

So they went looking for a lemon, found one, and bargained for a wooden coffin. I'd say they knew it too. Even on a wood boat how many boaters are carrying two 2x4's and probably 10-12 penny nails? A 2x4 is not a hull plank and it's not a rib or not a mast. It's for shoring. He expected trouble.

Pretty good odds too he was also pumping the bilge of water before he even left (Which is why he didn't wait until November to come back. If he waited until then it probably would have sunk at the dock.). He was probably crossing the Pacific in a losing race with his bilge water and simply said nothing to anyone about it, figuring he could make it before her seams opened up. Once the water reached his batteries, no more pump and no more radio. But, like everybody else, I'm just guessing.

Him I don't I don't have much sympathy for. Her? Odds are she followed the leader - right to the bottom. But, as previously mentioned, the surprise is there aren't more stories like this.

What's the lesson? "Cheap" and "safe" are not always synonymous - Or maybe it's "At sea a shim is worth more than a 2x4"?

02-20-2013 02:45 PM

kjango

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

But why survey a boat that you're going to buy anyway even if it fails?

I know I know.....they probably used the survey to pull the seller's pants down to his ankles on the price of the boat . They might have though...." Oh boy , more money to spend in Hawaii. ?

02-20-2013 02:13 PM

IMAnonymous

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayne56

Given the number of cruisers making passages every year it's amazing how seldom I hear of losses like this. My feeling is that most ocean sailors and their boats are pretty well prepared before setting out on a crossing. Any thoughts from others who hang with the long distance crowd?

They last pulled in with a "broken boom" nailed together with two 2x4's. This suggests a wooden boom. For a wooden boom to break at sea is to me, unheard of. It suggests to me the boom was rotted (and severely rotted) and, if that's the case, this boat was in serious condition (as in "sink at the dock" condition). Crossing the Pacific in October in a boat that failed survey is an invitation to trouble.

Quote:

Last thought....I hope that both partners were equally 'eyes open' on the risks they were taking....then it is their adventure and their lives to live, however tragic the outcome. Not sure that is typically the case where you might have a strong willed overly eager skipper.

I suppose they had to go in eyes "wide open" on a boat that failed survey. But why survey a boat that you're going to buy anyway even if it fails? It's the sign of a "strong willed overly eager" buyer. They liked the price and got what they paid for.

02-19-2013 12:36 AM

wayne56

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

Given the number of cruisers making passages every year it's amazing how seldom I hear of losses like this. My feeling is that most ocean sailors and their boats are pretty well prepared before setting out on a crossing. Any thoughts from others who hang with the long distance crowd?

During an Atlantic crossing with two pilots a few years ago there was lots of time to talk about the typical combo of human error, equipment problems and external forces (like weather) that come together to cause most aviation disasters. Same with sailing.....and it seems like this storey fits right into that pattern.

Last thought....I hope that both partners were equally 'eyes open' on the risks they were taking....then it is their adventure and their lives to live, however tragic the outcome. Not sure that is typically the case where you might have a strong willed overly eager skipper.

02-15-2013 12:12 PM

Razcar

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjvanginkel

Sadly there have been no new developments. Nothing has been found of them or their ship.
My mother knows the young mans mother so this haunts her a bit when I talk about our cruising plans.......

Thank you for sharing this.

I came across their still-active Flikr feed. Paging through it, I can't help but really connect with them and they sense of freedom and adventure. It certainly adds faces to the story. It becomes a bit more than just another story. Here it is:http://www.flickr.com/photos/76197564@N00/970762939/

02-15-2013 11:39 AM

tjvanginkel

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

Sadly there have been no new developments. Nothing has been found of them or their ship.
My mother knows the young mans mother so this haunts her a bit when I talk about our cruising plans.......

02-15-2013 10:09 AM

IMAnonymous

Re: Details on this 'lost at sea' story?

Crossing in October was probably the mistake. November and they might have made it.

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